Grayfia Lucifuge moved through her days between diplomatic duties alongside Sirzechs and the flawless administration of the Gremory estate. However exhausting her routine might be, it never pulled her away from the obligation of supervising Rias and her peerage.
There was real affection for that young heiress. To Grayfia, Rias was almost like a daughter, though she never hid the judgment that the girl still carried a hint of spoiled air.
Yet the day brought more than simple duties.
Among reports and meetings, her sharp eyes noticed a subtle shift in the balance between the young heirs. Sona Sitri, ever meticulous, had finally made her move. She had noticed the human boy Issei Hyoudou, and as a good friend, she should soon inform Rias of his potential to join her peerage.
To Grayfia, that gesture was more than courtesy. It was confirmation that the paths of the two heiresses remained intertwined, whether through rivalry or trust.
Still, it was not Issei who occupied her thoughts until the end of the day.
What surprised her most was Gasper Vladi.
From the start, Grayfia had been certain that the half-vampire was a tremendous waste. Latent power shackled by fear and insecurity. A burden to Rias and, by extension, to the Gremory name itself.
But that afternoon, her eyes witnessed something unexpected.
Gasper left the Occult Research Club accompanied by Akeno, heading toward the shopping district with steps firmer than ever before. His face no longer bore the dim shadow of old, but a new presence altogether.
Grayfia observed in silence, her focus absolute.
That change was not gradual. It was abrupt, as if a veil had been torn away overnight.
Her chest filled with quiet satisfaction. The potential she had always deemed wasted might, at last, have found space to bloom. For Rias, it was an unexpected gift.
And yet, along with the satisfaction came concern.
Sudden change never came without a price.
She did not know the cause, nor the hidden reason behind Gasper's awakening. But she knew how to recognize results. If he was changing, it was good. If he was growing, better still.
Above all, what mattered was that Rias's peerage was no longer carrying a burden but holding a valuable piece.
With that thought, Grayfia ended her day.
The late afternoon carried silence through the corridors of the residence where Sirzechs Lucifer tended to his duties. The tall doors of his office were closed, though the light spilling through the crack revealed his work was ongoing. Grayfia entered unhurriedly, her posture flawless as always.
Sirzechs raised his eyes from the documents as his wife approached. The contrast between his light expression and her severity filled the space like a natural balance. Yet something different shone in Grayfia's face—a rare spark behind her discipline.
"Even with that serious expression, I can see your excitement."
Sirzechs's remark drew a subtle pause from her. He rested his elbows on the desk, fingers interlaced before his face.
Grayfia ignored the jest, choosing to maintain her cultivated professionalism. She straightened her posture further and went directly to the essential.
"Gasper has changed."
The words fell heavy. Sirzechs arched his brows, surprised.
"The dampir… changed?"
"Yes. I saw him today outside the club, with Akeno. His steps were steady. His posture, different. He is no longer the timid boy hiding in shadows. This could be decisive for Rias."
Relief spread across Sirzechs's face in an open smile.
"Then there is hope. With Gasper showing results, Rias will have the means to end that contract we all despise."
Grayfia nodded with restraint, though a nearly invisible glimmer crossed her eyes.
"Exactly. The burden is becoming an advantage."
Sirzechs rose casually, closing the distance to his wife. Without warning, he wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her easily from the floor, as if it were the most natural thing.
"Sirzechs!"
Her tone was sharp, laced with restrained coldness.
"Don't do that. We are in the middle of a report."
He only chuckled, amused by her immutable seriousness clashing with the warmth of the moment.
"Sometimes you forget you're also my wife, not only the perfect administrator."
Grayfia sighed, still held aloft, keeping her composure.
"Put me down."
Sirzechs obeyed with a satisfied smile, as though he had already achieved what he wanted.
After the brief interruption, Grayfia resumed her impassive demeanor. Leaving her husband in his office, she crossed the corridors and stepped into a magic portal. Moments later, she returned to the Gremory estate.
Gremory Mansion
The sky was already streaked with shades of violet as she crossed the silent halls of the mansion. Moonlight reflected on the stained glass, and enchanted torches brightened to light the corridors. Everything was in order, as it should be.
But then a magical seal shimmered before her, casting runes into the air—an urgent message directly from Rias. Grayfia lifted a brow faintly. It was rare for the young heiress to reach her this way, rarer still for the content revealed.
The glowing lines unfolded, carrying Rias's firm voice:
"Grayfia, I need your help. I want you to take charge of Gasper's training."
The message ended as abruptly as it began, leaving only fading light in the air.
Grayfia stood still for several seconds, processing the words. For Rias to admit the need for outside intervention, and to ask it directly of her, was unusual.
"Gasper's training…" she murmured softly, her tone heavier than usual.
Her lips curved faintly, not quite a smile, but carrying weight nonetheless.
'So you finally made a mature decision, Rias.'
The seal vanished, and silence reclaimed the hall.
Grayfia walked to a nearby window, letting moonlight fall across her pale skin. The cold glow reinforced the rigidity of her face, though behind the discipline flickered a rare spark: satisfaction.
To her, this request carried symbolic weight. Rias had always been proud, cloaked in her family's prestige. To accept help was something she resisted at all costs. That she would reach out in this way meant not only humility but growth.
And growth was precisely what Grayfia expected of her.
Her mind turned to the practical details. Gasper was more than a troublesome youth. He was a dampir, heir to a despised lineage and marked by unstable nature. At the same time, he possessed one of the most feared Sacred Gears: the Forbidden Balor View—the ability to stop time within his sight. Devastating potential, but in immature hands, only danger.
Grayfia knew that dilemma well. She had dealt with vampires before, studied their power flows, the seals binding them, the runes that restricted their hunger. For Gasper, mastering his blood and essence would be as vital as learning to channel magic or expand his Sacred Gear.
Moonlight climbed higher as she considered the task. Rias, spoiled yet resilient, came to mind. Though helped since birth by Sirzechs, by Grayfia herself, and by chosen allies, this time she had asked directly. Not to win a petty dispute, but to protect the future of her peerage.
That changed everything.
If Gasper flourished, it would not be an individual triumph but the strengthening of the whole group. Akeno, Kiba, and Koneko already bore defined roles. Gasper was the unknown. The piece once thought broken could become their sharpest weapon.
It would not be simple. The Forbidden Balor View could not be tamed with ordinary effort. It required mental precision, emotional stability, discipline—three virtues Gasper had not shown. Fear had ruled him more than any teaching.
Yet Grayfia was resolute. Her mastery of demonic magic was absolute, and her rigor in training had shaped both nobles and soldiers. If anyone could unlock his shackled power, it was she.
Walking the mansion's halls, her gaze sharpened as she recalled watching Gasper earlier. His steps, his steady stance, the absence of trembling. Something was already in motion, something not born of her hands—but now it would have to be guided before it was lost.
By asking for her intervention, Rias had offered the key. And Grayfia would not waste it.
The mansion's silence was broken only by the distant sound of the night wind through stained glass. In the shadows, Grayfia's resolve solidified like an inner command. She would accept the request. She would train Gasper. She would mold the dampir not only into a useful piece but into a warrior worthy of the name he served.
The night advanced, and with it the sense that the board was being rearranged. A piece once fragile was being placed at the center of the game.
Grayfia knew it would be hard. She knew it would be long. But she also knew that every obstacle would be met with precision and discipline. For if anything defined her existence, it was turning raw potential into absolute strength.
The fate of Gasper Vladi was about to change.
And with it, perhaps, the fate of the entire House of Gremory.
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